Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This shows fabulous stone, dried apple and honey aromas that follow through to a full body, with fantastic focus and energy. Great acidity at the finish. Wow. The depth and length are incredible.
-
Vinous
The 2014 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is a fabulous example of fine, aged Chardonnay from Napa Valley. What a wine. Rich, creamy and extroverted, the 2014 possesses superb balance and tons of class. Lemon confit, hazelnut, dried flowers, gunpowder and lightly honeyed notes are amplified in this exuberant, exotic white. The 2014 is not exactly subtle, but it is exceptionally vivid and beautiful. This has really blossomed in bottle.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Scented of cheese rind, lemon peel and toast to begin, the 2014 Chardonnay slowly opens on the nose to reveal white peaches, citrus blossoms, herbs and oyster shell. The palate is tangy, citrusy and mineral driven with fantastic energy and freshness, finishing long.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known for elegant wines that combine power and finesse, Carneros is set in the rolling hills that straddle the southernmost parts of both Sonoma and Napa counties. The cooling winds from the abutting San Pablo Bay, combined with lots of midday California sunshine, create an ideal environment for producing wines with a perfect balance of crisp acidity and well-ripened fruit.
This cooler pocket of California lends itself to growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Carneros is an important source of sparkling wines made in the style of Champagne as well.